the appetizer:

Bialys

Similar in texture to the ever-popular bagel, bialys are unique single-serving breads brought to the United States by immigrants from Bialystok, a city in Poland. The dimpled bun is sprinkled with a filling of onions and poppy seeds, making it the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup or a hearty salad.

Yield: 8 pieces at 4 oz

FDT: 80 degrees F

Sponge: 60 minutes

Bulk fermentation: 10 minutes

Retard: overnight

Rest: 10 minutes

Bake: 475 degrees F and 14-16 minutes

Bialys

Ingredient

Ounces

Grams

Volume

Bakers %

Sponge

Water, 90 degrees F

6.1

173

3/4 cup

29.6%

High-gluten flour

6.1

173

1-1/4 cups

29.6%

Yeast, instant dry

0.1

3

1/8 tsp

0.5%

Final Dough

Sponge

12.3

349

59.7%

Water, 75 degrees F

6.5

184

3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp

31.6%

Malt syrup

0.1

3

1/8 tsp

0.5%

High-gluten flour

14.5

411

3 cups

70.4%

Yeast, instant dry

0.1

3

1/8 tsp

0.5%

Salt

0.4

11

2 tsp

1.9%

Total

33.9

961

164.6%

Garnishes

Semolina flour, as needed

Bialy Filling (recipes below), as needed

Olive oil, as needed

1. Make the dough the day before you want to serve the bialys. To make the sponge, put the water in a bowl, then combine the flour and yeast in another bowl and add the mixture to the water. Mix the sponge by hand for 2 minutes to develop some gluten structure, making sure the ingredients are combined into a homogenous mass. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the sponge to ferment in a warm place for 60 minutes, until doubled in size.

2. To make the dough, put the sponge, water and malt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix for 2 minutes on low speed, to break up the sponge. The sponge can also be broken up by hand a little first. Combine the flour and yeast, and add them to the mixture, then add the salt. Mix for 10 minutes on low speed, making sure to scrape down and flip the dough over in the bowl 3 times during the process.

3. Remove the dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 4-oz pieces, and then preshape the pieces into round pieces. Allow the pieces to rest for 10 minutes, covered, at room temperature.

4. Lightly dust a sheet tray with semolina flour. Shape each dough piece into a bialy. Flatten out a piece of dough and lightly flour both sides so that it will not stick to the table or the cup. Using a plastic cup or ceramic coffee cup with a bottom diameter of about 3 inches, make a deep depression in the center of the piece of dough. Remove the cup and gently stretch the center with your lingers to make it thinner, about in-inch thick. Place the bialys on the prepared tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

5. To bake the bialys, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Ten minutes before baking the loaves, place a tray filled with 3 cups of warm water below the baking area in the oven to help produce steam.

6. Remove the bialys from the refrigerator and allow them to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the Bialy Filling.

7. Brush the dough pieces lightly with oil. Stretch each piece out to about a 6-inch oblong, then place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Make sure to depress the center to a thin layer, about 1/4 inch thick, so that it will not burst in the oven and push out the filling. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each bialy.

8. Place the tray in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 475 degrees F. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate and bake for an additional 4-6 minutes. Remove the bialys from the oven when they are just beginning to brown (you don't want to bake to full color, as this will make a dry bialy).

9. Remove the bialys from the tray and place on a cooling rack.

Traditional Bialy Filling

Yield 12 oz

Bialys

Ingredient

Ounces

Grams

Volume

Onions, medium dice

11.0

312

2-3/4 cups

Olive oil

0.6

17

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp

Poppy seeds

0.2

6

2 tsp

Salt

0.1

3

1/2 tsp

Total

11.9

338

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover until needed.

Roasted Onion Bialy Filling

Asiago cheese is similar in flavor and texture to Parmesan and Romano cheeses. It gives the filling a slight sharpness that enhances the flavor of the sweet roasted onions.

Yield 14.8 oz

Bialys

Ingredient

Ounces

Grams

Volume

Bakers %

Onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick (see Note)

12.0

340

4 cups

Olive oil

1.0

28

2 Tbsp

Asiago cheese, grated

2.8

79

3/4 cup

Total

15.8

447

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Toss the onions with the oil and spread out on a baking tray. Roast them for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have a golden brown color. Allow to cool.

3. Combine the cooled onions and cheese in a bowl. Cover until needed.